


Mistletoe Kisses

by ineffablesaltflower



Category: The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, dwarves have no idea, elves have winter traditions, excuse for kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28199226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ineffablesaltflower/pseuds/ineffablesaltflower
Summary: Elves have the tradition to kiss under the mistletoe, which hangs over their doorways in the cold winter season. So Legolas gets one from the forest. Gimli is simply confused on why he is suddenly receiving so many kisses.
Relationships: Gimli (Son of Glóin) & Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli (Son of Glóin)/Legolas Greenleaf
Comments: 4
Kudos: 87





	Mistletoe Kisses

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas and merry yule.
> 
> I bet you thought you've seen the last of me, since I haven't uploaded anything last week. But I only needed a little break because of reallife stuff and now I'm back.
> 
> This was an anonymous prompt on my curiouscat, a request for only some "gimleaf fluff".
> 
> So I decided to use the festive season for some festive fluff. Or at least some typical mistletoe fluff. I just couldn't pass the chance.
> 
> No proof read, we die like Haldir.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think.
> 
> xoxo

> _When the world is ever changing,_  
>  _Light a candle in the dark._  
>  _There's a source of inspiration in the air;_  
>  _Let the magic dry your tears and heal your heart._
> 
> _A wonderful dream of love and peace for everyone,_  
>  _Of living our lives in perfect harmony._  
>  _A wonderful dream of joy and fun for everyone._

Gimli stretched himself on his way back to their house. He cut the last wood and stored it away for the winter, just in time for the first snowflakes already fell. Legolas was out hunting all morning and had returned only a few minutes before Gimli had finished.

For the rest of the day Gimli did not plan much, except maybe to cuddle Legolas in front of the fireplace, wrapped in some warm furs and maybe having some tea and of course some of Legolas' wonderfully cooked food with whatever he had brought from the morning hunt.

They had settled down for the winter and for a little break of their travels. Surely they would pick them up again in spring, but for now they were content here. They had decided to spent the winter times in the Glittering Caves, for they would spent spring in Fangorn.

Meanwhile Legolas had different plans for the rest of the day. While he was out hunting he had found some mistletoes growing on tree and he couldn't stop himself and took them along.

He did not know if the dwarves held the same winter tradition for mistletoes but he was determined to find out and if not, well, then they would get to share a new tradition of his kind.

But first a place must be chosen. The entrance door was not enough, not used enough, surely. He wanted to get as many kisses as possible and the entrance door simply wasn't it.

He chose the heavy wooden door between their private rooms in the cave and the kitchen. Yes. Perfect. He thanked the Caves and it's dwarves once again to make the ceilings high enough for Legolas to walk through the rooms and doors for most of the time.

This way he even got to hang the mistletoe high enough so Gimli wouldn't be able to reach it without a chair, in case the dwarf would try so. And the pride of the dwarf would simply refuse him to use a chair to take something like this down if Legolas knew. So there was definitely no better place than this.

Not that the elf thought that Gimli would miss an opportunity to have a reason to kiss Legolas, but someone can never be too sure. And yes, he planned to kiss him every time he walked through it no matter the time of the day.

So Legolas was waiting impatiently with the warming tea for Gimli to return inside, being excited about his great idea and how this would benefit them both.

Because it definitely would. Still after all these months they couldn't get enough of each other. The elf couldn't get enough of Gimlis scruffy beard and of his big, rough hands to cup his face whenever they kissed.

And the dwarf couldn't get enough of the sweet bliss on Legolas' face whenever he did so, and he couldn't get enough of the soft skin or hurrying his hands into the silky hair.

Sometimes Gimli did wonder if there would ever be a time when those things would feel normal and if they would start paying less attention to it.

But it was merely a fleeting thought which soon always got chased away by another thing the laddie said or did. And even if it was only waiting inside with some hot tea like he did now.

Gimli was ready for a warm fireplace and an arm full of Legolas. He did not mind that much the cold outside, for the dwarves were sturdy and hardened, but even he preferred a comfortable cave and his love by his side to warm him.

He shook off some snow of his shoulders and grumbled a bit about the ice in his beard and hair. He followed the smell of the tea and was completely taken aback by the sudden attack of the elvish princeling once he walked through the door.

A pleasant attack though. He returned the kiss with an amused smirk. "Missed me, laddie?", he asked and pulled Legolas down to peck his lips again.

"Maybe.", Legolas said and grinned more than satisfied about his received kisses. Now he wondered how long he could get going without Gimli noticing.

And perhaps Gimli would have noticed, for he was an attentive dwarf with the eyes of an hawk, like he had put it back then in Lothlórien.

Unfortunately those eyes were clouded by the love and the mesmerising looks of his elf. Not that Gimli or Legolas would complain, oh, no. No, not at all.

It simply resulted in Gimli not noticing the mistletoe throughout the whole evening, they spent cuddled together on the furs in front of the fireplace. More kisses were shared and hugs, soft touches in each others hair and beard. Legolas carded his slender fingers through the rough beard, braiding small, little nonsense braids into Gimlis beard.

It always calmed them both, the rhythmic movement of the elfs hands, Gimlis warm breath upon them.

How could anybody truly blame Gimli for not noticing the mistletoe this night?

And when Legolas kissed him again once they left the room for the night, he was too tired to question it again. Sometimes his elf was simply clingy, there was nothing new about it. Legolas had his anxious times because the constant threat of Gimli being mortal hang above their heads, and Gimli never knew what to say or do to comfort him. He could do nothing but be there for him.

But this was not a night to think about it, not the cozy time of winter and Legolas pulling him along to bed. He didn't seem anxious tonight but simply clingy. Which was absolutely alright for the dwarf as well.

Legolas watched Gimli fall asleep next to him in the bed, his long limbs tangled together with the dwarf, hands disappeared in the warmth of Gimlis beard, nose hiding in the thick, ginger hair. All in all, Legolas was wrapped around the dwarf like a burdock.

Gimli was used to it like he was used to store and caves by now and even if he would never admit it out loud in front of anybody except Legolas maybe, he would surely miss the feeling of being wrapped into the elf.

Legolas grinned into the hair when Gimlis breath evened out, small snores accompanied the dwarf as he fell asleep.

Day one of his plan and the dwarf had not suspected a thing.

Legolas wondered how long he could go with that. The grin widened and he left a soft kiss to the rough hair.

They would see.

—

Gimli didn't suspect anything the first three days. He didn't even see the mistletoe. Perhaps he was already so used to Legolas decorating the caves with leaves and twigs. Especially in late fall and winter, whenever they prepared to stay here for a while and Legolas started to miss the forest and woods. Perhaps he was so used to Legolas bringing a part of the forest with him, that he didn't particular notice first.

Maybe he was also too busy being kissed every time he walked through the door, besides they also spent a lot of time outside during the day. And Legolas made sure to busy the dwarf enough once Gimli entered the room.

Or maybe he simply didn't question why he was suddenly receiving so many kisses.

Why would he anyway?

—

So the days went on, always going the same way just like Legolas had planned.

Sometimes they were both going for a walk and Legolas would pull him immediately to their rooms, not without kissing him of course.

Sometimes it was only Gimli who was outside and Legolas would wait for him to return with warm tea and some food.

And sometimes it was Legolas who went out for lone walks, to think about everything, to visit the wilderness, the animals and trees. These times were of course more complicated, when he came home and had to convince Gimli to come over to kiss him under the door.

Maybe it could have gone like this forever or at least until spring, when Gimli wouldn't be Gimli and started suspecting something anyway. He didn't know what exactly he suspected, but he knew enough to feel that there was something going on.

"Just come here.", Legolas asked Gimli to come over and leaned against the door frame. Maybe Legolas had overdone it a little the past days, had become bold once he realized that Gimli wasn't understanding what was going on.

He looked at the dwarf through his lashes with the sweetest smile on his lips.

"What's with you and that door lately, laddie?", Gimli grumbled but pushed himself up to walk over to his princeling.

"I don't know.", Legolas' innocent look on his face slipped for a second, a rather mischievous grin spreading over his face. He sneaked his arms around the dwarfs shoulders, leaning forward to kiss him.

"You don't know.", Gimli grumbled between two kisses, raising his eyebrow at him.

Legolas could still scold himself for the next mistake, but his eyes flickered up to the mistletoe for just a brief second. Just a moment, but a moment too long.

Gimli followed the elfs gaze and his eyebrow rose even higher.

"And what's that? Some new decoration?", he asked and furrowed his eyebrow at the twigs.

"Yes, yes.", Legolas quickly said and nodded. "Some decoration indeed."

Perhaps he could save it like that? Maybe Gimli wouldn't ask any further.

"What's it doing above the door? And what's that to do with kisses?", Gimli asked, eyes moving back to the elf.

"...well.", Legolas started and bit on his bottom lip, then deciding to play it off as a challenge. "How about you find out yourself?"

"So is that another elf secret?", he grumbled and earned himself a kiss on the still furrowed eyebrow.

"Maybe.", Legolas hummed sweetly and stole another kiss.

—

Like always Gimli simply accepted the challenge and decided to first find out what kind of twigs those were.

Which was the easiest party. He searched through some books and even the dwarfish ones took record of the plant. He just didn't know what those twigs meant for the elf.

But apparently elves kissed under it. And not just one time, no, every time Gimli walked into the room.

Because of the lack of elves around in the Glittering Caves, Gimli had no one he could ask except Legolas.

Therefore he went back to accepting the kisses for another few days, not asking the elf again.

Until Legolas made him get up again after Legolas came home from a hunt, demanding his kisses and pointing at the mistletoe above his head.

"Come on.", the princeling pouted and blinked innocently at the dwarf. Gimli sighed deeply. He knew all the ways he could get the dwarf. So again Gimli pushed himself off the furs to greet his elf under the mistletoe.

"Only if you tell me why.", he said then and crossed his arms, trying to escape Legolas who wanted to steal another kiss.

Legolas pouted even more and leaned down to kiss Gimlis cheek at least, if he couldn't get his lips.

"Because it's what we do.", he said and shrugged, finally relieving his dwarf from his questions.

"We always hang one up in the cold season when we find one. And then we kiss under it.", Legolas explained and smiled softly. "History and legends, all this. But in the end it results into getting a kiss every time a lover couple stands underneath it."

Gimli smiled softly and raised his eyebrow at the explanation. "You know you can always get your kisses without some twigs?"

"They aren't just twigs.", he complained and squeezed his dwarf close. "Just leave it hanging until spring. For me?"

Gimli looked up into those elvish eyes he came to love so much and rewarded him with a gentle kiss.

"Fine. Because it seems to make you happy.", the dwarf answered and cupped Legolas' reddening cheeks.

It's what they did. Making each other happy. And there were truly worse things to do than kissing Legolas under the mistletoe.

Well, Gimli wouldn't even be able to change it anyway, even if he tried.

—

And trying he did. A few weeks later he secretly tried to reach the little bundle of twigs to get it down while Legolas was out for a walk. Not because he had enough of Legolas, it was just annoying to get up every time he had himself wrapped into furs just because Legolas wanted his kiss under the mistletoe.

Or when Legolas made him go through the door to their private quarters when they came home, only to kiss him there. Even when they had some other business to attend first.

But he couldn't get it down. It was way too high for him to reach like that. Of course. Legolas did that on purpose, Gimli was sure of that. And Gimli had too much of dwarfish pride than to get himself a chair to do something simple like getting down a plant his elf hang up there.

So the bundle of twigs kept hanging there until the snow started to melt and Legolas still demanded his kisses. Gimli had succumbed to his fate and provided them everytime without complaining.

But once the days got longer and the sun became warmer and the first early flowers started to bloom through the last remaining parts of snow in the mountains, it was time to take it down.

It was dried out anyway and ready to be thrown out. The bundle had almost lost all of his leaves already as well, but until now Legolas couldn't bring himself to take it down and Gimli never asked him to do so.

Now that it was gone though, Gimli almost missed it. Kind of. The first time going through the door and not immediately being attacked by kisses was making him nearly disappointed.

Legolas grinned when he turned around and saw Gimlis sad face.

"Already looking forward to next time?", he asked his dwarf and Gimli wrapped his arms around him, grinning briefly.

"Maybe.", he answered and nuzzled his nose into the fair hair. "What would I get if I said yes?"

"A kiss.", Legolas hummed and wrapped himself around the dwarf.

"Then yes.", Gimli said without hesitation, which resulted in both of them laughing into their next kiss.

"I shall make sure to find one next winter again then.", Legolas murmured and Gimli nodded, gently caressing through the blonde hair.

"I shall help you.", he promised with a soft grin on his lips. Maybe after all he became quite fond of the tradition to be kissed under a mistletoe.

And if in summer they started to invent their own tradition with different flowers, like roses, daisies and lavender, which they hang above their door, none of them would complain about getting up to kiss the other.

A spoken ritual to find new reasons to kiss each other, once the previous flowers withered.

Often they went together to search for new, pretty ones.

And if in the next winter which approached, a dwarf started half crawling through the branches of trees to search for a mistletoe with an elf, no one except for them had to know.

> _You are mine,_
> 
> _I thought, he smiled,_
> 
> _in silence under the mistletoe._
> 
> _— Auldrin._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for everyone who supported me even through my break. It means a lot to me that y'all are still here.


End file.
